The statement was signed by the top-ranking #Democrats on a trio of #NationalSecurity panels: Senators #JackReed of RI, of the #ArmedServices Cmte; #JeanneShaheen of NH, of the #ForeignRelations Cmte; & #MarkWarner of VA, of the #Intelligence Cmte. Senator #ChrisCoons of DE, another snr member of the foreign relations panel, also signed on.

For many companies, though, moving a major chunk of production to the #US is unrealistic, said Agathe Demarais, a snr policy fellow at the European Council for #ForeignRelations.

#Costs are too high. American #workers are not willing to accept the low #wages that initially drove companies to move to countries like #Mexico.

Mazda & Toyota have already struggled to ramp up production at their joint US factory because of a lack of workers.

"For you, I will do this," the German chancellor told President #Biden, acc/to a senior admin official familiar w/the private meeting.

Great article detailing the long complex process of the negotiations to achieve this feat of #diplomacy by #POTUS & the #BidenAdministration by Arden Farhi, Olivia Gazis, Camilla Schick :

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-russia-prisoner-swap-frees-americans-evan-gershkovich-paul-whelan/

Photo released by @WSJ of #EvanGershkovich, Alsu #Kurmasheva, & #PaulWhelan. Free.

Photo taken today.

But #Harris is likely to approach global problems differently from #Biden, who has longtime personal relationships w/leaders such as #Israel PM Benjamin #Netanyahu & #Russia President Vladimir #Putin through decades of service on the Senate #ForeignRelations Cmte & 2 terms as VP. That experience shaped his rigid views on many issues, ofcls say.

Lew’s hearing before the #Senate #ForeignRelations Cmte coincided w/ high-stakes appearance by #Biden in #Israel as furor grips the #MiddleEast & threatens to worsen violence. Wed’s proceedings opened w/a plea from Sen Ben Cardin (D-MD), the chair, who evoked the ghastly images that emerged of #Hamas militants brutalizing Israeli #civilians & soldiers in the group’s stunning cross-border attack on Oct 7. “Now,” Cardin said, “is not the time to play political games.”

Many of NJ’s most prominent Dem ldrs have called on #Menendez to step down. On Mon morning, he appeared at the lectern alone.

The #indictment depicted a far-reaching web of #political #corruption involving #aid & #weapons sales to #Egypt & efforts by Menendez to persuade state & federal prosecutors to go easy on his assocs in 3 #criminal cases.

Menendez was chair of the #ForeignRelations Cmte until stepping aside on Fri, as required by rules the #Senate #Democrats adopted to govern themselves.